ECOC 2008, 21-25 September 2008, Brussels, Belgium

Mo.4.C.5

Monolithically Integrated Waveband Selective Switch Using Cyclic AWGs

Kiyo Ishii (1), Hiroshi Hasegawa (1), Ken-ichi Sato (1), Shin Kamei (2),
Hiroshi Takahashi (2), Masayuki Okuno (3)
1 : Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8603 Japan, k_isii@echo.nuee.nagoya-u.ac.jp
2 : NTT Photonics Laboratories, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, 3 : NTT Electronics

Abstract
We propose a novel waveband-selective switch that uses cyclic Arrayed-Waveguide Gratings. The device is
fabricated on one chip using Planer Lightwave Circuit technologies. Tests demonstrate that the designed
performance is successfully realized.

Introduction
Broadband access is being rapidly adopted
throughout the world and, as a result, traffic is
increasing rapidly. Further traffic expansion will
occur in the near future with the introduction of new
broadband services including IP-TV/VoD services
using super-/ultra- high definition TV (6/72 Gbps/ch).
In order to cope with the envisaged traffic growth
effectively, the introduction of higher order optical
paths, wavebands (WBs), which consist of multiple
wavelength paths, are being intensively studied [1].
The introduction of WB path routing (waveband
cross-connect) has been shown to significantly
decrease the total switch scale/cost of optical cross-
connect nodes [2]. Efficient WB path routing
algorithms have also been proposed [3], which
assures significant network cost reduction.
To develop single-layer optical path cross-connect
systems that handle wavelength paths, one of the
key components is the wavelength selective switch
(WSS). In order to realize the multi-layer optical
path (WB and wavelength path) cross-connect, the
waveband selective switch (WBSS), an extension of
WSS, will also play a key role [4]. The introduction
of WBSS has been shown to greatly reduce the total
amount of switch element needed [5].
In this paper, we propose a new WBSS architecture
that consists of cyclic AWG wavelength filters and
optical switches that are fabricated with PLC (Planar
Lightwave Circuit) technology; it effectively
suppresses the channel loss deviation by a new
AWG arrangement. We demonstrate the
effectiveness of the device as realized monolithically
on one chip. The device has no moving mechanical
parts, requires no adjustment, and is very compact,
which will lead to high reliability and low cost.
Waveband Arrangement
Different WB arrangements are possible as shown
in Fig. 1 [6]. One integrates wavelength paths in a
sequential manner (a) whereas the other integrates
them in a periodic manner (b). Which WB
arrangement is used has virtually no impact in terms
of network provisioning and OA&M(Operation,
Administration and Maintenance).
Figure 1: Waveband Arrangement
Figure 2: Generic multi-layer optical path cross-
connect node architecture and an example of BXC
implementation using WBSS
In this paper we adopt the interleaved WB
arrangement, since the periodicity potentially allows
us to use cyclic AWGs for WB MUX/DEMUX in the
BXC part in Fig. 2, and to use cost-effective wide
channel spacing AWGs as MUX/DEMUX in WXC.
Here, cyclic means that the free spectral range
(FSR) of the 1 x M AWG corresponds to a width that
covers M consecutive channels.
Proposed WBSS
A. WBSS Architecture
We used forty C-band channels on an ITU-T grid
with a channel spacing of 100 GHz; they are divided
into five WBs, each WB consists of eight individual
channels as shown in Fig. 3. The proposed 1x5
WBSS consists of six 1x5 cyclic AWGs and five 1x5
optical switches (Fig. 3). The cyclic AWG has
periodic transmission response whose period
equals the FSR [7], 500 GHz. This enables the 1st
AWG to demultiplex the input signal into the
interleaved WBs. Each WB output from the 1st
AWG can be routed to any of the five output AWGs
(2nd AWGs) through 1x5 switches. Finally, the 2nd
AWGs multiplex the WBs and output them.
B. Joint Optimization of the Two AWGs
While the logical implementation explained above
does physically achieve the desirable optical
operation, there is an issue to be cleared up. The

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 ECOC 2008, 21-25 September 2008, Brussels, Belgium
Mo.4.C.5

Figure 5: WBSS Chip

Figure 6: Output Channel Spectra at Output Port 1

Figure 3: Generic WBSS Architecture
When WB1 and WB2 are routed

property measured value

center wavelength error -0.023 to 0.033 [nm]
insertion loss 6.9 to 9.2 [dB]
channel loss deviation in
1.5 to 2 [dB]
each output port
1dB channel bandwidth > 0.15 [nm]
3dB channel bandwidth > 0.3 [nm]
adjacent crosstalk 37.1 [dB]
Figure 4: Excess Loss of Test Samples non-adjacent crosstalk 38.6 [dB]
channel loss of a cyclic AWG for the outer ports is Table 1: Transmission characteristics of fabricated
larger than that for the inner ports. Figure 4 (a) WBSS
depicts an excess loss measured with a test sample
of the 1st cyclic AWG for WB1-WB5. As shown in summarized in Table 1. It is confirmed that the loss
the figure, the excess loss deviation was 1.3 dB. In deviation is reduced as intended. Its small size, no
the proposed WBSS, each channel passes through adjustment requirement, and good performance
the 1st and 2nd AWGs, and hence the total AWG further strengthen the benefit of the multi-layer
loss and the loss deviations are doubled. To optical path cross-connect.
overcome this problem, we propose a new idea, that Conclusions
is, shifting centre wavelength of the 2nd AWG so We have proposed a novel 1x5 waveband selective
that the offset relative to the 1st AWG equals 2ch switch (WBSS) that minimizes the excess loss
(200 GHz), as shown in Fig. 4(b). With this scheme, deviation by optimizing AWG frequency response.
the resulting excess loss deviation after passing The device was fabricated on a single chip thanks to
through the two AWGs is reduced to 1.3 dB while it the interleaved wavelength banding. Its routing
is 2.8 dB without this channel shift approach (also capability and performance were successfully
total maximum excess loss of the two AWGs is confirmed. The device is expected to play a key role
almost halved). Note that with this arrangement, in the development of cost-effective multi-layer
waveguide connections between WB switch and the optical path cross-connect.
2nd AWG shown in Fig. 3 are changed accordingly. Acknowledgement: This work was partly supported by NICT and
JST. The authors are grateful to Mr. Kakehashi for his discussions.
Experiment
The proposed WBSS was fabricated using PLC References
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2. X. Cao et al., Opticom, vol. 4874(2002), pp. 198-
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accommodate forty 100-GHz spaced channels 3. I. Yagyu et al., ECOC 2006, Tu.3.3.6
(195.6 + 0.1 x n [THz]; n=0 to 39) on the ITU-T grid. 4. S. Kakehashi et al., ECOC 2007, Mon. 2.5.3.
Figure 6 shows an example of WB channel spectra 5. S. Mitsui et al., IEICE General Conf. 2008, B-12-
at output port 1 when WB1 and WB2 are routed, 22.
respectively. We repeated the same measurements 6. S. Kakehashi et al., ECOC 2006, We3. P. 56.
for all the output ports and the results are 7. H. Takahashi et al., J. Lightwave Technol., vol.
13 (1995), pp. 447-455

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